The support group
by jediknigh5
Summary: Just as Ben is finally getting ready to propose to Julie he is approached about defending a woman on a murder charge. One problem, the woman once threatened to kill Ben as well. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Ben Matlock loved hot dogs, this was no secret. But at the moment he was making himself a salad for lunch. He was doing this for the same reason most men would do anything, for a woman. Ben planned to propose to Julie March during this lunch, and hoped this would prove how much he cared for her. He wanted them to live for a long time as a married couple. Ben had the ring all picked out, specifically his daughters Leanne and Charlene helped him pick this ring out. They had better taste in jewelry and they knew that their mother would want him to be happy. But, as was often the case, Ben's law practice got in the way. It was during the lunch, before he proposed, that their was a knock on his door. A young woman, Marissa, was standing outside. Marissa looked familiar to Ben and Julie, but neither could quite place her.

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Marissa: I'm sorry to just barge in like this mr Matlock, but I have a friend who desperately needs your legal help. And I don't wish to seem rude ms March, but as your an assistant District Attorney, I think I should talk to mr Matlock in private.

Julie: You look familiar.

Marissa: About three years ago you were both guest lecturers at Harvard Law School.

Ben: Yeah, that must be it.

Julie: Perhaps I should leave then.

Ben: Wait a minute, I haven't said I'll take her case.

Julie: It's okay, we can talk later.

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Julie left and Marissa began talking to Ben.

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Marissa: I'm sorry to have spoiled your date.

Ben: You said you were at Harvard Law School?

Marissa: Actually I graduated from a community college.

Ben: But you are a lawyer?

Marissa: Yes.

Ben: Why can't you help your friend?

Marissa: I mostly do business law. I haven't done criminal law in years, I've never even handled a murder case before. My friend needs someone who knows criminal law much better than me.

Ben: Okay, tell me about your friend's case.

Marissa: We met five years ago in a support group for parents who've lost children.

Ben: I'm sorry for your loss, and your friend's.

Marissa: Thank you. Anyway her daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Three days ago this drunk driver was released from prison. The prosecutor alledges that my friend murdered this drunk driver the first night he got out.

Ben: Well the prosecutor won't have to work hard to show motive. Are there even any other suspects?

Marissa: Her husband, the child's father. But he was away on a business trip to Los Angelas when the murder took place. I don't know if he made any enemies in prison.

Ben: Have the police found the murder weapon?

Marissa: Yes, in her house, but that could have been stolen first.

Ben: Stolen? Not planted?

Marissa: It was my gun. A few weeks ago, I had a bad night. When you lose a child, you have moments where you contemplate suicide. I called her, and she talked me down. She took the gun so that I wouldn't be tempted, it's not a stretch to say she saved my life.

Ben: Any witnesses?

Marissa: A bartender. He saw the driver talking to a redheaded woman shortly before he was shot. But he couldn't identify my friend in a line-up.

Ben: Even so, it sounds like the prosecution has motive, the only other viable suspect has an alibi, the murder weapon was found in her house, and a witness who might be mistaken, but when you put that with everything else, you see what I'm saying.

Marissa; I know, which is why my friend needs the best defense lawyer in the world.

Ben: I appreciate the flattery, but no one has a batting average of 1000%.

Marissa: There's something else that perhaps I should have mentioned.

Ben: I'm not sure how you can tell me anything worse.

Marissa: My friend, is Amanda Barnes. Do you remember her?

Ben: She threatened to kill me in open court, threatened the doctor who tried to save her daughter's life. To answer your question, yes, I remember her.

Marissa: Please, she and I have a bond, having both lost our children, she saved my life.

Ben: I'm a father, if she killed the drunk driver who killed her daughter, I'm not sure I can blame her. But frankly I feel safer with her in prison. Amanda deserves a lawyer who she can trust, and one who doesn't feel like their own life is in danger if she gets out. That's not me.

Marissa: Please, just meet with her once.

Ben: I'll talk it over with my associates, they deserve to know what they're getting into first.

Marissa: Thank you.

Ben: I'm going to regret this, but what the hell? I'm old, I've had a good life.


	2. Chapter 2

Ben Matlock felt he should have his head examined for even considering taking on this case. If either if his investigators, Cliff Lewis or Conrad Mccmasters, wanted no part of this, he would be happy to refuse the job. But for now, he would ask for their imput.

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Ben: Amanda Barnes has been arrested for murder, and her main lawyer has asked me to help on this case.

Cliff: Who's Amanda Barnes?

Ben: What happened with her was, a Greek tragedy, everyone suffered. Five years ago her daughter was killed by a drunk driver. As she and her husband were taking the body home, they noticed a scar on her chest. The doctor, Herbert Stein, had taken the heart. He tried to send it to Savannah for a transplant, for a child with a heart defect.

Conrad: Don't they need the parents' consent for that?

Ben: Yes, dr Stein feared they'd say no, and the heart would become useless. Amanda Barnes raised Hell, she demanded that her daughter's heart be returned to her. The cops even tried to convince her to let them take it, that this other child would die without it, but she refused. She had dr Stein brought up on charges, for forging her signature, turned out he had done this many times before, other parents also had him charged, and Stein hired me to defend him. I just didn't think they should throw a doctor in prison for trying to save a child's life. The jury agreed, he was aquitted based on necessity, that he only did what he had to do to save children's lives. But he lost his job, no other hospital would hire him. The little boy who would have gotten that heart died. And now, Amanda Barnes, who threatened to kill me, is being accused of murdering the drunk driver who killed her child.

Conrad: Do you think she did it?

Ben: Probably. God knows the police have motive, the only other person with motive has an alibi, she doesn't have an alibi, the murder weapon was found in her home, a witness who might have seen her talking to the victim in a bar, at least he saw someone who looked like her.

Cliff: In what I'm guessing was a crowded, dimly lit, smokey bar from a distance.

Ben: If that was all the police had I could get reasonable doubt. But when you factor that with everything else, she's in trouble.

Conrad: Are you going to take her case?

Ben: I actually want to talk to you two about that. This woman has threatened to kill me in the past. If either of you two feel the danger's too great, I won't hold it against you if you don't want to be involved in this case.

Cliff: Sounds like you want to take the case.

Ben: I wouldn't say I want to do this. I couldn't charge her, the case doesn't interest me, I don't feel the police have done any injustice.

Cliff: So why then?

Ben: Too many people have suffered since that day. One child was killed, another died because of a technicality, a doctor's career was ruined, two sets of parents had to lose a child. And now this man, who apparently learned nothing in prison and couldn't simply call a cab, is dead. Maybe I don't want Amanda Barnes to spend the rest of her life in prison. Like I said, too many people have already suffered.

Conrad: Okay then, I'll help you.

Cliff: So will I.

Ben: Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

When Ben Matlock and Amanda Barnes first met, she had recently lost her child. She threatened to kill Ben for representing the man she felt had butchered her daughter's dead body. Ben hoped she had calmed down somewhat since then. But when Marissa brought Ben to see her in jail, Amanda was angry to see Ben.

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Amanda: What the hell is he doing here?

Marissa: You need a good criminal defense attorney.

Amanda: That man defended the pervert who butchered my child's dead body. As far as I'm concerned he belongs in Hell with the butcher, and the lowlife drunk driver.

Ben: You say anything like that in court and the jury will assume your guilty.

Amanda: What do you care? Marissa, you're the only lawyer I trust, I want nothing to do with him.

Ben: If that's really what you want I'll walk out of here right now.

Marissa: Don't. Amanda, I'm not a criminal defense lawyer, all I know for certain, is you need a better lawyer than myself.

Amanda: But why him?

Marissa: Because he's the best.

Amanda: So he can charge me one hundred thousand dollars. I don't have it.

Ben: If I take the case, I'll defend you Pro Bono. Do you understand what that means?

Amanda: Yes, Marissa said that means for free. Why would you defend me for free?

Ben: Because I think there's been enough suffering already. It has to end sometime.

Amanda: Fine, I'll take Marissa's advice and let you be my lawyer. This the first time you defend someone who hates your guts?

Ben: No. Let's get down to business. Anything you say is bound by attorney-client priviledge. Did you murder this drunk driver?

Amanda: No.

Ben: Do you know who did?

Amanda: The only other person I can think of is my husband, but he wouldn't let me go to prison for it. Anyway he has an alibi.

Ben: I know, I checked. You kept the gun in your house?

Amanda: A bedroom safe. The combination is 0807, my daughter's birthday.

Ben: Even in a safe, anyone who knew you could have easily figured that out. But it's hard to argue that someone broke in, stole the gun, killed this man, and put it back. There is one good thing, the inside of the gun was wiped of all fingerprints, but not the outside. Marissa, did you ever take the gun to the shooting range?

Marissa: Once or twice, but not for a few years. Truth is I wasn't very good.

Ben: But your prints would still be on the inside if you ever loaded and reloaded, unless someone took the trouble of wiping them off. But the fact that the outside had fingerprints, including from both of you, maybe the idea that someone is framing you will sound more plausible to a jury. I'll have my associates look to see if this man made any enemies in prison. It's not going to be easy, but I'll do all I can for you.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite this setback, Ben still wanted to propose to Julie. But he was a defense lawyer, she was a prosecutor. Inevitably they would be on opposing sides. He had hoped to get her to agree to marry him before their their next opposing case, sadly that couldn't be avoided. And this current case, judge Snyder was the prosiding judge. Snyder was a liberal judge, he seemed morally opposed to the very idea of cash-bail. Usually he asked himself two questions. Is the defendant a flight risk? Is the defendant a danger to the community. If the answer to either question was "Yes" then bail was denied. But if the answer to both questions was "No" then they were released. Typically judge Snyder allowed low level drug-offenders and turn-style jumpers to go free pending trial, while alleged wife-beaters, rapists, child-molestors, and murderers were remanded until their respective trials. This was good for society violent criminals were not released merely because they were doing well financially, while other non-violent offenders weren't thrown into prison simply because their families were poor. But, at the moment, this wasn't good for accused murderer Amanda Barnes right now. The baliff read the charges and they got down to business.

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Snyder: How does the defendant plead?

Ben: Not guilty.

Snyder: Bail?

Ben: Your honor my client is accused of murdering the man who killed her child. She is no danger to the community.

Julie: I disagree your honor. In addition to threatening the deceased Mrs Barnes made threats against others, including a doctor, and Mr Matlock.

Snyder: You're representing a woman who made threats against you?

Ben: It's complicated your honor.

Snyder: That is your business, but it is beginning to sound like this woman is a danger to the community.

Ben: With all due respect your honor, when Mrs Barnes made these threats she had just lost her child, understandably angry, and taking it out on anyone she could find.

Julie: And she has followed through on her threats against the man who, I'm guessing, was, on the top of her hit list.

Ben: I object to the term "Hit list" given that my client has yet to be convicted of any crime.

Snyder: I realize that, and you will have every opportunity to tell this to a jury. But for now, she does appear to be a danger to the community. I am therefore denying bail and remanding Amanda Barnes to jail pending her trial.


	5. Chapter 5

Benjamin Matlock liked to think that Marissa was right, that he was the best criminal defense lawyer in the world. But there were some cases he just couldn't win, he feared that this was one of those cases. Ben did the best he could. The bartender said he saw the victim talking to a woman with red hair, similar to Amanda's hair. But Ben got him to admit that he only saw him from a distance, in a dimly lit smokey bar. He couldn't even be sure that the hair wasn't a wig. While Amanda's safe had a combination of her daughter's birthday, easy to figure out, it seemed unlikely that someone would go through all the trouble of stealing the gun, murdering this man, and putting the gun back. The only person who seemed to have both motive and opportunity would be Amanda's husband Jack. But Jack had an alibi, he was in a different time zone when the murder took place. There was the possibility he hired someone to commit the murder, but Conrad and Cliff couldn't find any evidence of this, not for lack of trying. And having met Jack, Ben believed it was unlikely he would let his wife take the fall for a crime he commited. The jury might sympathize with a woman who killed the man who killed a child, but if they just listened to the facts, they probably wouldn't see reasonable doubt. There was only one other person with opportunity to kill this man, but as far as he knew she had no motive. Or did she. It was just a hunch, but he asked Cliff and Conrad check it out, partly because he had no other ideas.


	6. Chapter 6

Ben was in his house, which often doubled as his office. He was playing his banjo, it often helped him think, when Cliff came and said what he found.

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Ben: What did you find on Marissa Tasker?

Cliff: Not much. Corporate lawyer, never been married but had a son, Doyle, who died five years ago.

Ben: I keep thinking I've seen her, I just can't remember from where.

Cliff: I thought you said she went to your lecture at Harvard.

Ben: Yeah, maybe she just wanted to hear two of the best lawyers give legal advice.

Cliff: I did find one thing, an incident from highschool. She's 17, goes to a party, has a couple of beers with her boyfriend. They decide to be responsible and call up this program. Basically they offered to be designated drivers for teens.

Ben: Yeah I've heard of those. But if they being responsible, why is there a record of it?

Cliff: Because someone else, wasn't so responsible. That drunk driver killed her boyfriend, Doyle.

Ben: The same name as her son.

Cliff: Her son was born seven years after, but yeah I think she named her son after her late boyfriend. Marissa also currently volunteers for a similar safe driving program, I'm guessing she hates drunk drivers.

Ben: Yeah, but I don't think she'd let her best friend take the fall for her crime.

Conrad: Maybe not.

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Ben and Cliff looked up to find that Conrad had come in, and the look on his face said he found something.

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Conrad: But I wouldn't say that Amanda is really her best friend.

Ben: What did you find?


	7. Chapter 7

This was a first for judge Snyder. He was an old man, been a judge for more than 30 years, but he had never seen a defense lawyer call his own co-counsel as a witness. Judge Snyder called Ben Matlock and Julie March for a sidebar to discuss this matter.

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Snyder: Mr Matlock, calling your co-counsel to the stand could potentially implicate your client and break attorney-client priviledge.

Ben: My client has agreed to waive said priviledge on the grounds that Marissa Tasker is not dedicated to her defense.

Snyder: That is a serious charge, one that could get you dis-barred if you do so without evidence.

Ben: I believe I will be able to show evidence if the court will allow it.

Snyder: Very well, I'll allow it. But I advise you to be careful.

Ben: Thank you your honor, I will.

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Julie returned to her desk and Marissa Tasker went to take the stand.

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Ben: Ms Tasker, how long have you known my client, Amanda Barnes?

Marissa: Almost five years. We both began attending a support group for parents whose children have died.

Ben: I have two daughters myself, I can't even imagine the pain of them dying.

Marissa: I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Ben: Did you need psychiatric help?

Marissa; Yes. The day after my son's funeral, I tried to commit suicide. I was in an institution for three months.

Ben: Did you blame anyone for his death?

Marissa: He died of a heart-attack, there really wasn't anyone to blame.

Ben: But you were, understandably, angry.

Marissa: Ofcourse, who wouldn't be?

Ben: True, anger is one of the five stages of grieving. But you didn't have a specific target for your anger, at first.

Marissa: I don't understand.

Ben: May I ask, why did you name your son Doyle?

Marissa; Doyle was the name of my highschool boyfriend, he was killed by a drunk driver.

Ben: A drunk driver. An irresponsible jackass, just like the one who killed Amanda Barnes' daughter Bridget.

Marissa: Yes, that's one of the reasons Amanda and I bonded at the support group.

Ben: Based on your mutual hatred of drunk drivers?

Marissa: Yes.

Julie: Your honor, I fail to see where this is going.

Ben: I'm getting to that.

Snyder: I'll allow it, for now.

Ben: Thank you. Ms Tasker, did you know that my client had a bedroom safe?

Marissa: I think she mentioned it once or twice.

Ben: Did you know the combination?

Marissa: No.

Ben: It was 0708. July 8th was her daughter Bridget's birthday. Most people use their children's birthdays or other loved ones birthdays because they're easy to remember. The prosecutor has made a point of how the defendant had the gun in her house. Do you know how she obtained said weapon?

Marissa: Yes, she took it from me, the night she talked me out of suicide.

Ben: Do you know where my client was, the night this man was murdered?

Marissa: She took it hard, knowing that the man who killed her daughter was walking free. She got drunk, and I dropped her off at her house. I helped her get to bed, then I went home.

Ben: What time?

Marissa: I believe it was just after 9pm.

Ben: The victim wasn't killed until after midnight, time enough for you to put on a red wig, go to the bar, lure this drunk outside, and murder him. Where were after you dropped her off?

Marissa: Home alone. But you're trying to make the claim that I killed anyone, I had no motive. I certainly wouldn't let my best friend go to prison for it.

Ben: Probably not, but you would want Amanda Barnes to go to prison for the rest of her life.

Marissa: Why would I do that to her?

Ben: Ms Tasker, does the date May 18th 2014 ring a bell.

Marissa: That was 9 days before my son died.

Ben: Is there anything else about that date that seems significant.

Marissa: It was the day Amanda's daughter Bridget died.

Ben: It was also the day, that your son Doyle, was prepped for surgery, wasn't it?

Marissa: Yes.

Ben: He was prepped for a heart-transplant, what happened?

Marissa: I was told that the heart had become useless.

Ben: Why was that?

Marissa: They didn't tell me.

Ben: No they didn't, because they were protecting the identity of the other family. Did you know that Amanda Barnes prevented dr Stein, from using her daughter's heart, to save your son.

Marissa: This is the first I've heard about this.

Ben: Have you ever heard of a man named Max Morgan?

Marissa: He's a private investigator, my firm hires him sometimes to investigate our opponents.

Ben: He's prepared to testify that you hired him, to find out what other parents prevented your child from getting the heart, that he needed to survive.

Marissa: Then he'd be commiting perjury, and I don't know why he would do that.

Ben: I don't think that your second suicide attempt was real, you wanted her to take your gun, and from there you figured out the combination to her bedroom safe. I think you planned the whole thing for five years, ever since Max told you who she was. Max also told you she was attending a support group, so you just walked on in there, didn't have to lie about what brought you there. You just left out, why you were attending, this specific support group. And when you found out the circumstances of Bridget's death, maybe you changed your plans. I think you were originally planning to murder Amanda, probably didn't care if you went to prison. But then, you decided to kill the drunk driver, and let her spend the rest of her life in prison. Perhaps a part of you, wanted to give her a little peace of mind, knowing that the man who killed her child was dead.

Marissa: None of what you're saying is true.

Ben: There are two people in this courtroom, other than myself, who know for certain, that I'm telling the truth. One is you, the other is my client. You both had motive, opportunity, access to the murder weapon. You spent well over four years planning your revenge against my client, maybe you were flawless. I know it's unrealistic to expect you to confess, the police might never be able to prove you did any of this. But the judge has already instructed the jury, that I don't have to prove my client's innocence, I just have to prove that there's reasonable doubt. And I believe I've just done that.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben Matlock did all he could for his client, now it was in the hands of the jury. Ben and Amanda were waiting for the jury to deliver the verdict when they began talking.

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Amanda: Is it true, Marissa tried to frame me for that bastard's murder?

Ben: I can't be 100% certain. But yes, I think she did it. That's why she tried to hire me, figured that your hatred of me would impare your willingness to cooperate with me. I also think she asked a clerk to get us judge Snyder, she knew he was unlikely to grant bail to an alleged murderer. I also think that's how me and Julie recognized her. She was in the mental institution during dr Stein's trial, but we saw her pictures.

Amanda: That bitch. First she desecrates my child's corpse, then she pretends to be my friend, all while plotting to set me up. I hope she goes to prison for the rest of her life.

Ben: I spoke with Bob Brooks, he's a police officer who I trust. Bob has agreed to look for evidence pointing to Marissa, but my guess is she was too careful. Fortunately we just need to create reasonable doubt for you.

Amanda: Can I at least sue her?

Ben: You can, I don't think you should. Just do yourself a favor and cut her out of your life.

Amanda; I want her to pay.

Ben: I had hoped your anger would have died off by now, that five years was enough time to calm down.

Amanda: Do you expect me to forgive you for representing that butcher?

Ben: I don't think I did anything that needs forgiving, neither did dr Stein. He just tried to keep one tragedy from becoming two. What did you need Bridget's heart in her corpse for anyway?

Amanda: I deserved the chance to say goodbye to my child.

Ben: I don't agree with Marissa's choices, I also don't blame her for thinking you killed her son. I took this case because I thought that all the suffering has to end sometime. Maybe it was too little too late. When this is over, if you want to start something with her, just leave me out of it.


	9. Chapter 9

The jury had been given permission to go to lunch. Ben suspected they had delayed this long so they could have lunch. They had to wear badges letting local restaurant owners know they were jurors, and couldn't talk about their case. Most likely they would reach a verdict shortly after lunch. In the meantime Ben was standing in line at a hot dog stand inside the courthouse. Marissa Tasker ended up in line behind her.

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Ben: Can I help you with something?

Marissa: No, just standing in line for good hot dogs. Do you really believe I murdered that drunk driver?

Ben: You withheld your previous connection to Amanda Barnes. And Max Morgan might have his faults but I believe him when he says you hired him to find her.

Marissa: Well I trust our judicial system, they won't find any evidence other than the word of a P.I. who owes money to four or five different bookies.

Ben: You might very well avoid being arrested for murder. My advice is to leave town and try to move on with your life.

Marissa: When Doyle died people tried to comfort me. They said "You're young enough to have more children." As if my son were really that expendable. I can't just move on like he never existed.

Ben: I know that but, if you and Amanda can't work things out, or at least live in different states, I don't think it's going to end well, for either of you.

Marissa: It was never going to end well. When you lose a child, that's not an option.

Ben: Then please, at least leave me out of it.

Marissa: I'll try.


	10. Chapter 10

Note: This is the final chapter. It's classified as a tragedy for a reason.

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Benjamin Matlock was always nervous just before the jury read the verdict. He believed he had presented enough reasonable doubt, but maybe this jury also held Amanda Barnes responsible for the death of Doyle Tasker. Marissa wasn't in the courtroom, perhaps she had taken Ben's advice and fled before the police found evidence linking her to this murder. Finally the forewoman read the verdict "Not Guilty." Amanda and Ben were greatly relieved, but it would be short-lived. As Amanda left the courtroom Ben began talking to Julie March. She wasn't upset, she could see how the jury found reasonable doubt. Ben wanted to have her over for dinner, so he could propose properly. But before he could ask her over, they both heard the gunshots. Ben instinctively threw himself on Julie, protected her from any stray bullets. The shooting was over in less than thirty seconds. After a few minutes the baliffs came and told them what had happened. Marissa had been waiting for Amanda, somehow she snuck a gun into the courthouse. Amanda and Marissa got into an argument, Marissa shot Amanda in the head, killing her instantly, then Marissa turned the gun on herself, both women were now dead. Ben Matlock and Julie March were taken to the hospital, mainly as a precaution. The doctors said they could leave. As they were leaving they were talking.

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Julie: I feel like we should have done something, something that could have stopped this.

Ben: There was nothing we could have done.

Julie: So there was no way to avoid this?

Ben: Sure there was. If that idiot had just called a cab five years ago, Doyle Tasker would have died, but Marissa wouldn't have tracked down Amanda. Maybe if that medical chopper had just taken off five minutes earlier, Bridget would still be dead but maybe Amanda would have raised hell, but she probably wouldn't have any grudge against Marissa. But I think, after all of this happened, something like this probably was inevitable.

Julie: Truth is, I agreed with dr Stein, we should have implied consent for organ-harvesting. But he broke the law, I can't decide which laws to enforce.

Ben: I know. What happened was a tragedy, one that seems to keep repeating. I don't have all the answers but I know one thing. This whole series of events makes me realize that, I'm an old man. I'd like to sieze whatever happiness I can for, however long I have left. I had planned a big romantic evening for tonight.

Julie: Ben, are you asking me, what I think you're asking me?

Ben: This isn't how I imagined asking, but you are the person I want to ask. Julie March, will you marry me?

Julie: Yes Ben, I will marry you.

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And with that, Ben and Julie kissed, for the first time as an engaged couple. Their relationship might be complicated, but it was theirs. And they wanted to sieze whatever happiness they still could.


End file.
